Warriors: Three Moons to StarClan
by SandshadowWarriors
Summary: When disaster strikes the Clans, what better cat to blame than a mysterious and reserved tom? Sandpaw's mentor, Brokenshadow, is exactly that. Join Sandpaw and her friends as they attempt to uncover the secrets behind the massacre that has clutched the Clans in this story of mystery, adventure and murder. Will they end up with the same fate as their slaughtered clanmates?
1. Allegiances

**Allegiances**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors, Erin Hunter does, but I do own these cats. **

**StormClan:**

**Leader: **Breezestar- pale gray she-cat with white tail tip and deep blue eyes.

**Deputy: **Emberstripe- light ginger tabby tom with green eyes.

**Medicine Cat: **Fernfrost- brown and white she-cat with green eyes.

**Warriors: **(toms, and she-cats without kits)

Brokenshadow- jet black tom with violet eyes.  
**Apprentice, **Sandpaw

Thunderfrost- blue-gray tom with amber eyes.

Honeydapple- white she-cat with green eyes.

Rosewater- dark gray she-cat with white paws and chest.  
**Apprentice, **Sweetpaw

Blazefoot- muscular tabby tom with dark stripes.  
**Apprentice, **Stonepaw

Orangebreeze- fluffy orange and white she-cat.

Firestone- fiery red and white she-cat with amber eyes.

**Apprentice, **Viperpaw

Dodgeclaw- large white tom with one brown ear.

Spottedleap- golden brown tom with dark spots.

Duskfeather- sandy brown she-cat.

Skysong- black and white she-cat, blue left eye and green right eye.  
**Apprentice, **Tumblepaw

Adderstripe- smoky gray tabby with yellow eyes.  
**Apprentice, **Reedpaw

Cedarfoot- brown tabby tom with white paws and hazel eyes.

Morningjay- white and brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes.

Nettletooth- ginger-brown tom.

Oakshade- russet tom with hazel eyes.  
**Apprentice, **Riverpaw

Meadowleap- pale orange and white she-cat with amber eyes.

Longclaw- tabby tom with yellow eyes.

**Apprentices: **(more than six moons old, in training to become warriors)

Riverpaw- white tom with brown spots.

Stonepaw- solid gray tom with green eyes.

Sandpaw- dark brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes.

Viperpaw- fluffy black and white tom.

Reedpaw- striped she-cat with green eyes.

Sweetpaw- speckled she-cat with long fur.

Tumblepaw- golden brown tom with green eyes.

**Queens: **(she-cats nursing or expecting kits.)

Snowshine- white she-cat with large blue eyes.

Silversky- silver tabby she-cat, mother of Oakshade's kit: Swiftkit.

**Elders: **(former warriors and queens, now retired.)

Dewtail- black and white tom with blue eyes.

Frostfang- dark gray she-cat with a scarred muzzle.

Timbertail- mottled brown tom.

**CloudClan:**

**Leader: **Eaglestar- scarred white tom with dark patches.

**Deputy: **Rippletooth- large gray tom.

**Medicine Cat: **Sunpool- fluffy yellow tabby tom.  
**Apprentice, **Greenpaw

**Warriors: **(toms, and she-cats without kits.)

Ivystep- lean tabby she-cat.  
**Apprentice, **Creekpaw

Pinetail- ginger tom with green eyes.

Blackwhisker- large dark tom.

Deerpelt- brown speckled she-cat.

Rainstripes- gray and white tabby tom.

Pebbleshine- pale gray she-cat with blue eyes.

Sagepelt- dappled brown she-cat.

Birchtwig- pale tabby tom with yellow eyes.  
**Apprentice, **Russetpaw

Runningbird- dark brown she-cat.

Redstorm- skinny dark ginger tom.

Troutfur- gray tom with darker gray spots.  
**Apprentice, **Volepaw

Applefoot- tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes.

Crowtalon- black tom with blue eyes.

Bluerose- gray-blue she-cat.

Raggedclaw- dark brown tabby tom.

**Queens: **(she-cats expecting or nursing kits.)

Littleflower- fluffy tabby she-cat.

**Elders: **(former warriors and queens, now retired.)

Tawnystone- light tabby she-cat.

Graytooth- dark gray mottled tom.

**NightClan:**

**Leader:** Hollystar- black and white she-cat.

**Deputy: **Ravenwind- black she-cat.

**Medicine Cat: **Blossomtail- white she-cat with ginger patches.

**Warriors: **(toms, and she-cats without kits.)

Maplestripe- tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes.

Tigerfrost- tabby tom with dark stripes.  
**Appentice, **Lynxpaw

Sharpstone- mottled gray tom.

Owlflight- very dark brown tom.

Shadefeather- light gray she-cat.  
**Apprentice, **Jaypaw

Cloudfur- skinny white she-cat.

Sootfang- black tom with amber eyes.

Heatherspots- black and white she-cat.  
**Apprentice, **Mosspaw

Darkstep- muscular gray tom with yellow eyes.

Foxfoot- skinny red tom with green eyes.

Heavyfoot- dark brown and black tom.

Ashstripe- tabby she-cat with dark stripes.

Minktalon- light gray tom.

**Queens: **(she-cats expecting or nursing kits.)

Cinderstorm- black and gray she-cat.

**Elders: **(former warriors and queens, now retired.)

Larktail- white she-cat with green eyes.

Whitewhisker- black and white tom.

Flamefur- golden tabby tom.

**Cats Outside the Clans: **

Hawkpath- brown tabby tom with white chest.

Crimson- red fluffy tom.

Ivory- cream and white she-cat.

Perry- pale brown she-cat with gray eyes.


	2. Chapter 1

**Three Moons to StarClan**

**Chapter One**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors, Erin Hunter does. But I do own the characters in this story.  
**

Sandpaw sucked in a deep breath then leaped. She channeled all her strength into her haunches in hopes of making it to the next branch. But she didn't. With a wail of surprise, Sandpaw plummeted from the birch tree and hit the earthy ground.  
"Oof!" She hissed as the breath was knocked out of her.  
"Sandpaw!" Cried a striped she-cat who came running over to her assistance.  
Sandpaw's fur grew hot with embarrassment as she realized what had happened.

She was _supposed _to be demonstrating how well she'd mastered the hunting technique of leaping from branch to branch, but instead had made a fool of herself. _  
Wonderful._ She thought bitterly.  
"I'm _fine _Reedpaw." she snapped as her friend attempted to help her up. Reedpaw flinched and backed away hastily. Sandpaw shook her fur to rid it of the dust and soil.  
"Hey, watch it!" Stonepaw growled, and Sandpaw realized she was showering him with dirt. Viperpaw let out a snicker and Sandpaw shot him a heated glare.  
"Nice effort, Sandpaw, you almost had it!" Firestone mewed cheerfully. Sandpaw blinked gratefully at the red and white she-cat.

She turned her head awkwardly to stare at her mentor, Brokenshadow. The jet black tom stood there, gazing at her for several heartbeats.  
"Are you hurt?" he mewed finally, barely audible. Sandpaw shook her head uncomfortably.  
He nodded, then gestured his tail toward Reedpaw. "I believe you owe her an apology."  
Sandpaw looked down at her paws for a moment, annoyance prickling at her pelt. She wished she could say she disliked Brokenshadow but she didn't know enough about him to even _decide _whether she did or not. Ever since she was assigned his apprentice two moons ago, he had spoken but a few mere words with her. Needless to say, it angered her.

_Aren't mentors supposed to be helpful? _Sandpaw thought bitterly. She then realized that Reedpaw was staring at her expectantly. _Oops. _  
"Sorry, Reedpaw." Sandpaw mumbled. "I shouldn't have snapped at you, you were only trying to help." Reedpaw's face softened immediately.  
"That's alright, I'm glad you're okay." she chirped.

Oakshade cleared his throat loudly. "Perhaps _Riverpaw _could show us the proper way to leap from tree to tree." he suggested, although it sounded more like a command.  
"Err, yes, why not." Blazefoot agreed. The dark tabby's whiskers twitched awkwardly. Riverpaw eagerly scampered up to a young oak tree, giving Sandpaw a sympathetic look on the way there. He dug his claws into the thick bark and hauled himself up easily. Sandpaw watched in dismay as he expertly bounded from branch to branch, not losing his balance once. He might have gone on forever if Adderstripe, Reedpaw's mentor, hadn't called out for him to stop.

"Well done, Rvierpaw, that's enough." he mewed. Riverpaw let out a _mrrow _of satisfaction and leapt down from the tree he stopped at, which was quite some distance away.  
"Why did you stop him?" Oakshade snapped at Adderstripe irritably. "He was doing fine!"  
"He was getting carried away." The gray tabby meowed nonchalantly, with a hint of challenge in his tone.  
"What are you implying?" Oakshade growled. Sandpaw suppressed a groan of annoyance. _Oakshade has the temper of a hungry badger. He'll look for any reason to get worked up. _But she kept her jaws shut; she knew better than to disrespect Oakshade, no matter how annoying she thought he was.

"I'm simply giving the other apprentices a chance to show what they can do." Adderstripe answered, unaffected by Oakshade's aggression. "Or would you rather us sit here until sunset watching Riverpaw jump around?" Anger flared up in Oakshade's eyes but before he could answer, Firestone came between the two toms.

"Are we really going to argue over this?" she mewed, slightly exasperated.  
_Just in time. _Sandpaw thought as she saw Riverpaw bound up with a confused look on his face. She guessed he had sensed the tension.

Oakshade growled and Adderstripe rolled his eyes.  
"Whatever." Oakshade muttered, turning his back to Adderstripe. Reedpaw's delicate mew broke the tension.  
"May I go next, Adderstripe?" she sweetly asked her mentor, blinking keenly. Sandpaw felt a rush of affection for her friend. Adderstripe could ever have a sour attitude with Reedpaw. Adderstripe blinked fondly at his apprentice.  
"Of course." he purred, his earlier hostility vanishing. 

By the time the group of cats reached camp, it was past sunhigh. Sandpaw proudly carried a squirrel she had quickly managed to catch while they were making their way back. She had glowed when Blazefoot purred in approval and even Oakshade had given her a quick nod. But her pride had vanished when she didn't see even a hint of support in Brokenshadow's intense violet gaze.  
_Would it kill him to show some emotion? _Pushing the thought to the back of her mind, Sandpaw trotted over to the fresh-kill pile with Reedpaw following her, and dropped her squirrel.  
"That was a wonderful catch," Firestone commented warmly as she strode past the apprentices, "you should treat yourself for it." 

"Would you look at that?" Reedpaw exclaimed. "They're _all _mooning over you." Sandpaw purred and lightly shoved her.  
"Don't be silly." she mewed. "They just feel bad because of my cringe-worthy collapse."  
"I'm still surprised as to how you caught it," Reedpaw continued, ignoring Sandpaw's negative comment. "You captured it before I even realized it was there!" Sandpaw thought her heart would burst, but still, she kept herself collected.  
"C'mon it's just a squirrel." she said, trying her best to sound modest. She scanned the fresh-kill pile and chose a large vole. 

"Wanna share?" Sandpaw asked, nudging the vole toward her friend. Reedpaw scrunched up her nose is distaste.  
"Vole?" she mewed. "Ehh, no thanks. I'm actually not in the mood for anything, really."  
Sandpaw blinked surprisingly at her friend.  
"We've been out since sunrise! There's no way you aren't hungry." She meowed. Reedpaw just shrugged.  
"Maybe I will be later." she answered. Sandpaw decided not to think much of it and tore into the vole as Reedpaw scampered away. She let the delicious flavor flood her taste buds and eagerly took another bite, realizing how famished she was.

Sandpaw finished her meal quickly and swiped her tongue around her jaws. Satisfied, she stretched and began padding to the ash tree that was apprentice's den, hoping for a nap. As she made her way across camp, she noticed the shape of a cat slip by from the corner of her eye. Sandpaw's head darted in the direction of the movement and she strained her blue eyes to make out who it was. It took her a moment to realize that only a cat with a black pelt could blend so well with the shadows. A heartbeat later, the flash of violet eyes confirmed her suspicions.  
_Brokenshadow! Why is he creeping around camp like that? _She thought, puzzled.

Sandpaw thought to follow him, but instead decided to just sit and observe. She kept her eyes locked on her mentor and saw him slink up the pile of rocks and through the camp entrance. All of Sandpaw's instincts urged her to follow him. But what if he caught her? _If Brokenshadow finds out that I'm sneaking up on him, he'll bite my tail off! _She thought. Which wasn't entirely true; Sandpaw didn't know enough about the quiet tom to even imagine what his reaction would be. _Maybe he won't be angry...maybe he'll just shrug it off like he does for everything I do. _A surge of anger passed through Sandpaw.

_He doesn't even care about me! He's about the most useless mentor I've ever seen. _She growled inwardly. And at that, she leaped to her paws and raced across the clearing, determined to follow Brokenshadow. But as Sandpaw burst out of the camp and into the forest, she saw no sign of his dark pelt. _Impossible! _She thought. _There's no way he could have gotten far! _Sandpaw opened her jaws and took in the scents around her. Finally, she picked up a trace of his scent. Quickly but carefully, she began following the trail, depending on her tracking abilities to lead the way.

After a while of trekking aimlessly through the bushes and undergrowth, Sandpaw noticed the trees beginning to thin out. The grass beneath her paws became patchier and the dirt became coarser. She realized she had reached the edge of her territory and was just near the border of the creek that marked the border between StormClan and CloudClan. And just like that, Sandpaw lost the faint scent trail she had been following. _Mouse dung!_ She thought crossly. _ I almost had him! _Although Sandpaw knew that was a lie. In fact, Sandpaw had been starting to think it was a lost cause.

The apprentice let out a huff and slumped down. _Well that was pointless. _Just as Sandpaw was preparing herself to leave, she heard pawsteps nearing her. Her ears pricked up and her eyes widened in dismay as she saw a CloudClan patrol nearing her border. She thought to back away but the cats had already spotted her. Sandpaw felt a wave of uneasiness but forced her hackles to stay down. _I can't show them that I'm afraid. _CloudClan weren't exactly hostile, but Sandpaw didn't want to think of what the outcome would be if she angered them.

"Hey look! It's a StormClan cat!" one of the patrol members called out. The cream she-cat looked no bigger than a few moons old and Sandpaw guessed she was a newly appointed apprentice. The ginger tom next to her snorted.  
"Thanks Creekpaw, I _never _would have guessed." he scoffed. The apprentice, who apparently was named Creekpaw, looked mildly hurt for a moment, but the excitement was back in her eyes in an instant. The patrol consisted of two more cats; a slender tabby she-cat and a tom with an indifferent look on his face.

"Hey, StormClan furball! What do you think you're doing?" the ginger tom sneered. Sandpaw's worry became replaced with rage. How _dare _he speak to her like that?  
"Shut your snout, Pinetail." snapped the tabby she-cat next to him, rolling her eyes. Sandpaw felt a rush of satisfaction. Pinetail shot his clanmate a look but stayed silent. The uninterested tom strode up, looking bored out of his mind.  
"Let's just remark the borders. No need for issues." He muttered, giving Pinetail a pointed look. Pinetail opened his mouth to retort but the tom wasn't finished. "May I remind you that _I'm _the one in charge of this patrol?"

"I was just protecting our borders, _leader._" Pinetail sneered.

The tom let out a chuckle. "From this little scrap? She's no threat!"  
Sandpaw realized she had just been sitting there with wide eyes as the cats bickered.  
"Hey!" she retorted, leaping to her paws. "I can become a threat if that's what you want!" she growled, doing her best to sound intimidating. But the tom just kept chuckling and Pinetail joined in. 

The tabby she-cat shot Sandpaw a sympathetic look. "You two are nothing but a pair of mouse-brains." she mewed. "She's on her own territory so just leave her alone."  
"Yeah!" Creekpaw agreed, shooting an admiring glance at the tabby, whom Sandpaw guessed was her mentor.  
"Oh of course, whatever you say, Ivystep." Pinetail mewed in mock respect. Sandpaw rolled her eyes; these cats were a squabbling wreck. She stood up and turned her back to the patrol, making her way back into the forest.

She felt exposed and vulnerable without a canopy of trees and wondered how CloudClan cats lived with so little cover. As Sandpaw headed back into the trees, she heard Creekpaw call to her.  
"Goodbye!" she mewed. Sandpaw turned her head in surprise but nodded quickly,  
"Bye!" she called back, a bit warmed by the apprentice's friendliness.

Just as Sandpaw climbed down the rocks into the camp, she heard her leader's voice ring out throughout the clearing.

"May all cats old enough to catch their own prey join beneath the twisted tree for a clan meeting!" Breezestar yowled. Sandpaw blinked in a puzzled manner and went to join the gathering mass of cats. They all looked up eagerly at Breezestar, who was perched regally on the highest branch of the distorted birch tree. She stared down proudly at her clan, her blue gaze studying them. Sandpaw quickly stat down next to Reedpaw and Viperpaw and focused her gaze on their leader.  
"We are gathered here today for the appointment of two new apprentices." Breezestar mewed once all the cats were settled. Sandpaw turned around to see Sweetkit and Tumblekit behind her. Both were perfectly groomed and shaking eagerly.  
"Sweetkit, Tumblekit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior names, you will be known as Sweetpaw and Tumblepaw." Breezestar meowed. The two new apprentices glanced at each other ecstatically at their new names.

"Rosewater, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You have shown yourself to be diligent and compassionate. You will be the mentor of Sweetpaw." Breezestar said. The dark gray she-cat's eyes shone and she padded up to touch noses with Sweetpaw, who leaned in impulsively. "Skysong, you are a clever and resilient Warrior, I expect you will teach Tumblepaw all that you know." Sandpaw glanced awkwardly at Skysong. The black and white she-cat's eyes shone wildly.  
_Skysong's kind of…weird _she thought doubtfully _I don't know if she and Tumblepaw will be very compatible. _

Tumblepaw padded shyly towards his new mentor and hesitantly touched noses with Skysong. She saw Tumblepaw relax a bit as Sysong whispered something to him and felt better for his sake. The clan began chanting the new apprentices' names.

"Sweetpaw! Tumblepaw!" they shouted. Sandpaw happily joined in with the chorus of yowls. _It will be nice to den with Sweetpaw and Tumblepaw again, although the apprentice den is going to be extremely crowded. _Sandpaw scrunched up her nose, realizing how uncomfortable she was going to be. Sweetpaw and Tumblpaw scurried excitedly to Duskfeather, their mother, and Spottedleap, their father. They looked as if they were about to burst with pride, their eyes wide and admiring their kits. Sandpaw padded over to congratulate her friends.

"Sandpaw! Can you believe it?! We're going to be sharing a den again!" Sweetpaw chirped.  
"Yeah, and this time you won't be mewling little kits." Sandpaw joked affectionately.

Sweetpaw gave her a soft shove, "This time we'll be _vicious _warriors!_" _she meowed as she swiped at the air, hardly containing her energy.

"You'll soon learn there's more to apprenticeship than just fighting, Sweetpaw." Spottedleap purred.  
"Yeah." Tumblepaw agreed. "The apprentices are _always _complaining about cleaning the elders' den." he mewed timidly, as if scared to add to the conversation. Sweetpaw stopped mid swipe and groaned. Sandpaw chuckled lightly,  
"It won't be so fun when you're cracking ticks." she mewed.  
"Whatever," Sweetpaw replied, brushing off her momentary sulking, "I'm still going to be the _best _fighter ever!"  
"I just hope I'll be a good Warrior." Tumblepaw mumbled quietly, shuffling his paws.

"You'll be a _fantastic _Warrior." Duskfeather reassured her son, although Sandpaw saw her flash a look of dislike toward Skysong.  
_Does Duskfeather not like Breezestar's choice for Tumblepaw's mentor? _Sandpaw thought, bewildered. Skysong seemed like a good enough Warrior, although a bit zany at times. Sandpaw shrugged it off and went to join the other apprentices who were gathered next to a juniper bush. The light was fading in the clearing and Sandpaw realized that it was nearly sunset.

"So, new apprentices, huh?" Viperpaw meowed as Sandpaw settled in with her friends.  
"They're just more space taken up in the apprentices' den if you ask me." Stonepaw muttered. Riverpaw rolled his eyes.  
"Don't be such a bitter furball." Sandpaw mewed, defending the young cats. "Need I remind you that you aren't a Warrior yet?"  
"I _will _be soon. And thank StarClan I'll get away from all of you." Stonepaw grunted. Reedpaw looked offended and Riverpaw just shook his head.  
"The feeling is mutual." Riverpaw retorted.

Viperpaw let out a stretch. "Whatever." he mewed nonchalantly. "At least we'll get some peace and quiet while they're out getting moss for their nests."  
"Unless they expect _us _to do it." Stonepaw growled.

Viperpaw snorted, "If they think they can order me around then they've got another thing coming." he said boldly, flexing his claws.  
"You two are ridiculous." Sandpaw meowed irritably. "Don't give them a hard time, were all new apprentices once too." Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye she saw a shadow slip through the camp entrance. The apprentices continued their conversation but Sandpaw wasn't listening. She kept her gaze fixed on the cat that had just slunk into camp. _Brokenshadow, _she thought. _What a surprise. _The black tom crept out of the shadows and joined the group of cats clustered in the clearing. _He's trying to act as if he's been here the whole time. _Sandpaw grew angry again. _What's he hiding? _


	3. Chapter 2

**Three Moons to StarClan**

**Chapter Two**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors, Erin Hunter does. But I do own the characters in this story. **

Sandpaw blinked her blue eyes drowsily as she padded out from under the shade of the apprentices' den. It had been a rough night's sleep with Sweetpaw chattering excitedly until moonhigh. All the apprentices were exhausted and ready to claw Sweetpaw's ears off, and Sandpaw was pretty sure she had heard Stonepaw mutter something about making her sleep in the dirtplace. Sandpaw squinted her eyes against the harsh greenleaf sunlight and stretched luxuriously.

"Well, you're up early." Morningjay joked, striding up to her. Sandpaw jumped in surprise at the sound of her mother's voice.

"I like to get an early start." Sandpaw purred, playing along. Morningjay gave her a swift lick on the ear.

"How's your training going dear? I feel like I haven't spent time with you in ages." The brown and white she-cat asked.

Sandpaw felt a pang of sadness, she hadn't realized how much she missed her mother.

"My training is…great!" she lied. "I'm learning so much from Brokenshadow."

Morningjay purred. "Wonderful. He's a bit of a reserved tom, but I knew he'd be a good mentor for you."

_Yeah right. _Sandpaw thought. _More like the absolute worst mentor ever. _She pushed back the thoughts and swallowed.

"Yeah! I was a bit unsure of him at first but I'm glad I get to learn from him." she mewed, forcing herself to sound enthusiastic.

Morningjay looked overjoyed. "I'm so proud of my little Sandpaw," she cooed. "and I'm sure Hawkpath is too!"

Sandpaw's heart skipped a beat. Morningjay rarely ever mentioned her father. Suddenly, she felt overwhelmed by a mixture of disappointment and hurt.

"No he's not." she muttered. Morningjay stopped purring, realizing she had upset Sandpaw. She rested her tail on her daughter's spine.

"Of course he is, my sweet." she mewed soothingly. Sandpaw felt a lump rise in her throat.

"He doesn't even care about me." she said bitterly, trying to control her voice. Sandpaw's father had left StormClan when she was four moons old to explore the world. She was sure he had left the clan territories by now and didn't plan on coming back.

"Sandpaw, just because he left us doesn't mean he doesn't love us very much." Morningjay meowed.

Anger flared up in Sandpaw's chest. "That's _exactly _what it means!" she cried. "I wasn't good enough for him so he just decided to abandon us and never come back!"

Morningjay looked shocked. "Sandpaw-"

"He doesn't give a rat's tail about my training, he'd rather be out there discovering the worldthan being an actual father!" She hissed.

"Sandpaw! That's enough." Morningjay snapped. Sandpaw was surprised by how offended her mother sounded. "I understand that you are hurt dear," her tone softened. "But Hawkpath had his reasons for leaving, and I don't fully expect you to understand until you're older."

Sandpaw's anger ebbed a bit.

"I don't understand why you're so quick to defend him." She muttered. "He left both of us and you're still acting like he's here, being a supportive father."

Morningjay sighed. "That's not what I'm trying to do Sandpaw…" she mewed. "I know Hawkpath better than any cat, I knew his intentions, and I know he never wanted to hurt us."

"Well, too late for that." Sandpaw answered bitterly. Before Morningjay could respond, the apprentice stalked away, too upset to address the subject of her father any longer.

_ I can't believe she doesn't realize what he's done to us. How completely selfish is it to just drop everything and abandon not only your clan, but your mate and daughter?! _Sandpaw thought, heading in the direction on the fresh-kill pile. She sighed inwardly and slumped down. _I never even got to know him well enough. What kind of father is he? _

"Sandpaw…hello?" a voice called. Sandpaw snapped out of her thoughts and looked up to see Riverpaw standing across from her, staring in a puzzled manner. She realized she must have been so caught up in her thoughts that she hadn't heard her friend.

"Oh err, hi Riverpaw." She mewed dully, scanning the fresh-kill pile for something to cheer her up.

"What's up?" Riverpaw asked curiously.

_ What does it look like? _she thought irritably. "Just looking for something to eat." She replied.

"Did you just wake up?" He meowed sounding surprised.

"Yeah." Sandpaw said. "Why?"

"It's just a bit late that's all. I've already done my battle training for today." the brown striped tom mewed.

"What?" Sandpaw exclaimed, shocked. "Is it really that late?" She looked up at the sky and noticed it was already sunhigh. She felt a wave of embarrassment creep on her pelt. "Oops.." she mewed. "Why didn't Brokenshadow wake me up for training?!"

Riverpaw shrugged. "I'm not sure. I haven't seen Brokenshadow all day, actually."

Sandpaw suppressed a hiss of annoyance.

"Of course you haven't." She sighed. She continued to search the pile, finally deciding on a large mouse on the top and dug in eagerly.

"Well, I'll see you later Sandpaw, I've got some bedding to clean." Riverpaw mewed, scrunching up his nose.

Sandpaw swallowed her mouthful of mouse.

"That sounds like fun." she chuckled. "See you."

**. . . .**

It wasn't until sunset that Sandpaw finally saw her mentor. He was heading towards the pool of water that came down the stone walls of the camp in a small stream. Sandpaw narrowed her eyes and followed the dark tom. She reached him just as he was about to lean down and get a drink from the pool.

"Where were you today?" She asked the second she was next to him.

Brokenshadow stopped mid-drink and lifted his head to stare at Sandpaw. "I thought I would give you the day off."

"Give me a day off or give _yourself _a day off?" she challenged.

Her mentor blinked slowly.

"You sound angry." He mewed, ignoring the question.

"Yes I am a bit angry that you were out of camp all day and didn't even tell me!" she answered impatiently.

"You were still asleep when I left, and I heard from Reedpaw that the apprentices didn't sleep well because of Sweetpaw, so I expected you to be happy that you could catch up on your sleep." Brokenshadow said in a soft voice that made Sandpaw's pelt prickle.

She felt a bit guilty for being so rude, _Maybe he _was _just trying to be nice to me… _she wondered.

"Oh…" Sandpaw mewed. She wanted to apologize, but she couldn't bring herself to.

Brokenshadow licked his paw and drew it over his ear.

"If you have an _issue _with that however, I'll be sure not to give you any more days off." He added, and Sandpaw swore she sensed a hint of playfulness in his tone.

"No, no, that's alright!" She said quickly. "Er…I'll leave you to drink then."

Her mentor said nothing, just turned around and proceeded to drink from the pond.

Sandpaw stood there awkwardly for a moment and then headed in the opposite direction.

**. . . . **

The next day, Sandpaw was padding lazily across the clearing.

"Sandpaw!"

She heard Emberstripe's heavy voice call. Her head darted toward him and the deputy gestured for her to come over.

"Yes, Emberstripe?" She mewed when she reached him.

"I need you on hunting patrol." He told her. Excitement surged through the apprentice, she hadn't done anything today other than check the elders for ticks.

"Okay!" She meowed enthusiastically. "Who's going?"

"Honeydapple, Blazefoot and Stonepaw." He replied briskly. "Now hurry up, they're waiting near the camp entrance."

_Stonepaw? He's such a grump. _She thought crossly, but she didn't dare say anything and risk Emberstripe getting angry with her, he seemed ill-tempered enough as it was. Sandpaw gave a quick nod and dashed over to where the three other cats were waiting.

"Sandpaw," Blazefoot mewed in greeting. "Are you our fourth member?"

"Yep!" She chirped. "Let's go!"

The four cats climbed up the rocky slope and slipped through the thorn bush entrance, entering the lush forest. Sandpaw gazed up at the trees looming over her, their canopy of leaves only allowed small rays of sunlight to shine down onto the undergrowth. She opened her jaws and took in the earthy scent, feeling calm and relaxed.

"So where are we headed?" Blazefoot asked.

Honeydapple looked around. "Well, there's already a hunting patrol near the Twin Trees so I was thinking we could go to either Daffodil Pond or the stream that runs through the territory." She mewed. Blazefoot shook his head in distaste.

"Fish?" He said in a disgusted manner. "No thanks."

Honeydapple rolled her green eyes. "Well then what do _you _suggest?"

"Why don't we go near the hills?" Blazefoot meowed enthusuastically.

"The hills aren't even in our _territory, _mouse-brain!" Honeydapple sighed.

"They don't belong to any of the clans!" He retorted.

"Well, they're a long way off, and last time I went hunting there I got chased by some mangy dog." Honeydapple said, shaking her head, as if trying to rid herself of the memory. While the two cats bickered, Stonepaw stayed silent with a blank expression and Sandpaw just rolled her eyes. It seemed that apprentices these days were more mature than the Warriors.

"How about we just head to the area of forest next to the NightClan border?" Sandpaw suggested. "Reedpaw told me there are plenty of squirrels there."

Honeydapple and Blazefoot exchanged a look. "That sounds good to me." Blazefoot agreed.

"Sure, why not." Honeydapple mewed.

Once the patrol had reached the patch of forest, Sandpaw saw that Reedpaw had been correct. There were squirrels all over the place, leaping from trees and nibbling on nuts near the roots. Blazefoot licked his lips.

"It seems as if Reedpaw knows where to find good prey." he commented.

"I still think fish would have been better…" Honeydapple muttered, but Sandpaw saw her gaze hungrily at the abundance of prey.

"How about you and Stonepaw work together using the tree bounding technique you learned the other day." Blazefoot said.

"You actually taught it to me a _moon_ ago, Blazefoot." Stonepaw corrected. "Sandpaw learned it two sunrises ago."

Sandpaw rolled her eyes at his superior tone, and she saw Blazefoot's whiskers twitch.

"Regardless," he mewed. "I want you two to figure out a way to work together with that style of hunting."

Stonepaw nodded and began heading in the other direction. Sandpaw sighed and followed the gray tom. Tree bounding wasn't exactly her strongest quality. _It was only your first day _She told herself. _You'll do better this time. _

Stonepaw stopped suddenly and Sandpaw had to pull back quickly to avoid running into him. "Up there." He meowed, gesturing his tail to a fat gray squirrel on the lowest branch of an oak tree.

"How do you want to catch it?" she asked.

"I'll climb up onto the lowest branch, and if it tries to jump to the next tree, you'll be there waiting on the next branch." He decided. Sandpaw nodded. "Okay."

"Don't mess this up." he growled, heading towards the tree with the squirrel on it.

"Furball." Sandpaw whispered as he bounded away. She quickly padded over to the tree next to his and silently hoisted herself up. Once she was at level with the branch, she noticed it was a bit slim. _I hope I don't crack it. _she prayed. Carefully, she placed her paws on the branch and balanced herself. Stonepaw had also gotten on to his branch and was slowly creeping up on the still unsuspecting squirrel.

Suddenly, it's head darted up and it dropped the nut it had been chewing. Just as they had planned, the squirrel attempted to make an escape by leaping to the next tree where Sandpaw was waiting for it.

Before the squirrel could react, she slammed her paw down on it and nipped it's neck, killing it quickly. The brown tabby she-cat picked up her catch proudly. But before she could begin her climb back down, she heard an ominous crack, followed by another. She let out a squeal of shock, dropping the squirrel, and trying to leap onto the trunk before the branch tumbled down. However, she was just a heartbeat too late and fell onto the lush grass as the branch collapsed. The feeling of the breath being knocked out of her was all too familiar and she felt her paw being crushed by the weight of her body.

"Sandpaw?" she heard Stonepaw call from his position on the tree. She struggled to catch her breath and respond to the tom, but she wasn't able to. _This fall was worse than the one yesterday. _She told herself. She heard Stonepaw's claws carrying him down the tree and he landed quickly, rushing to her aid. Sandpaw finally managed to catch her breath although it came short and raspy. Stonepaw leaned down and sniffed her.

"Are you alright?" he mewed.

"Yeah." she breathed, attempting to stand up. Her lungs were aching, and her left forepaw was throbbing painfully. "I think I'm okay." She managed to lift herself up and she leaned on the trunk of the tree. "My paw hurts a lot thought."

Stonepaw examined it for a few heartbeats before shrugging.

"I'm no medicine cat." He meowed. "It's probably nothing serious though."

Sandpaw nodded, hoping he was right, and attempted to place it on the ground. She let out a hiss of pain and flinched. "That's probably not the best idea." Stonepaw commented.

"Thanks for the advice." Sandpaw muttered crossly.

In that moment, Honeydapple and Blazefoot came padding from the trees nearby. Blazefoot had a squirrel in his mouth and Honeydapple had a blackbird. Honeydapple put down her kill and came over to the apprentices.

"Sandpaw, what happened?" She meowed worriedly as Blazefoot came up to join them.

"She seems to have acquired a liking for falling out of trees." Stonepaw told the white she-cat.

Sandpaw's fur grew hot with embarrassment. "It's not my fault! The branch was too slim and it cracked."

"That looks painful." Honeydapple mewed. "You should get Fernfrost to check on it."

Sandpaw nodded. "I will."

"You should have paid attention to the size of the branch Sandpaw." Blazefoot told her. "But at least you're okay."

"Right." she muttered. "My mistake."

"Let's get home." Honeydapple meowed. "Did you two manage to catch anything?"

Sandpaw turned her head to the squirrel she had dropped.

"Yeah…I kind of dropped it though" she replied awkwardly.

Blazefoot prodded the fresh-kill with his paw. "That's not a problem, food is food." he mewed.

The patrol headed home, each carrying their kill with them. Sandpaw was having trouble carrying the squirrel while hobbling on three legs, and it didn't take long for her clanmates to notice. Honeydapple turned to look at her and put down her blackbird,

"Here, lean on me." she offered. Sandpaw murmured thanks through her squirrel and let some of her weight rest on the white she-cat. Stonepaw looked lost in thought the whole way home and Sandpaw wanted to ask what was wrong, but thought better of it. The small amount of worry for her he had shown earlier had made Sandpaw believe that perhaps Stonepaw _wasn't _an angry struck-up furball, but his expression now reminded her that he acted like one most of the time.

**. . . .**

Fernfrost carefully eyed Sandpaw's throbbing paw, it hurt less now, but it was still swollen and delicate.

"Definitely a sprain." Fernfrost said at last. "And two broken claws." Sandpaw sighed. "How did this happen?" Fernfrost asked.

"I caught a squirrel in a tree and the branch broke." Sandpaw mewed, slightly embarrassed. Fernfrost shook her head and muttered something under her breath. She padded over to her herb store and came back with poppy seeds and a plant Sandpaw didn't recognize.

"These will ease the pain and reduce the swelling. You need to stay off of that paw for at least a few days." Fernfrost ordered. Sandpaw suppressed a groan.

"How many days?' she asked.

"That depends on how you heal, come back tomorrow for some more poppy seeds and comfrey and I'll see how you're doing." The medicine cat replied.

"Alright." Sandpaw mewed, standing up. She placed her paw on the ground gingerly. "Thank you, Fernfrost."

The brown and white she-cat nodded.

"You're welcome. Be more careful next time while hunting in trees."

"I will." Sandpaw said padding slowly away from the tilted willow tree, careful not to put too much pressure on her paw. She headed towards the small stream that surrounded the medicine cat den where Reedpaw was waiting for her.

"So what did Fernfrost say?" Reedpaw asked.

"It's a sprain." she mewed. "And some broken claws."

Reedpaw gave her a swift lick on the cheek.

"I'm sorry to hear it." She said sympathetically. "Fernfrost gave you poppy seeds, right?"

Sandpaw nodded. "Yeah and some other plant, I forgot the name."

Her friend looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Probably comfrey." She mewed. "It's good for reducing swelling and healing wrenched claws"

Sandpaw swiped her tongue over her jaws. "Well whatever it was, it didn't taste very good." Reedpaw chuckled softly.

"Let's help you conquer this awful stream." She mewed. Sandpaw lightly swatted her head.

"Don't make fun of my injury." She said dramatically, collapsing onto the ground. Reedpaw giggled and grabbed her scruff, hoisting her up.

"You can do it, it's only two mouse-lengths." she purred. Sandpaw flicked her tail back and forth and sighed loudly.

"I'll _try _I suppose, since I'm such a brave soul." she said with fake exasperation.

"Oh yes, _very _brave." Reedpaw agreed. Sandpaw leaned on Reedpaw a bit, lifting her injured paw. She nodded to let her friend know she was ready and together, they hopped over the stream easily.

"You are a true hero." Reedpaw announced after the reached the other side.

Sandpaw let our a _mrrow _of amusement.

"Thanks for helping me, Reedpaw."

"Sure thing!" Her friend chirped. "Will you be able to make it back to the apprentices' den alone? I was hoping I could go back and help out Fernfrost a bit."

Sandpaw titled her head slightly, a bit puzzled. "Yeah, I can make it, have fun sorting plants." she joked. Reedpaw purred and leaped back over the stream, joining Fernfrost under the tilted willow tree. _Sometimes I think Reedpaw is too kind for her own good. _Sandpaw thought warmly. _I just hope she doesn't get too comfortable hanging around Fernfrost. _Sandpaw realized how much she would miss the striped she-cat if she decided to continue her apprenticeship as a medicine cat. She pushed he thought away and proceeded to limp across the camp.


	4. Chapter 3

**Three Moons to StarClan**

**Chapter Three**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors, Erin Hunter does. But I do own the characters in this story. **

"And today Rosewater taught me the difference between stalking a mouse and a rabbit." Sandpaw heard Sweetpaw's excited chattering as she limped to her nest under the ash tree. Stonepaw was muttering to himself and Tumblepaw looked embarrassed as his sister continued to speak. Sandpaw sighed and collapsed into her nest, grateful for its comfort. But she quickly realized she probably wasn't going go get to sleep any time soon. _Would it kill Sweetpaw to not announce her entire day's events? _She thought irritably.

"Sweetpaw, would you _please_ shut up?!" Stonepaw snapped, voicing Sandpaw's thoughts. Sweetpaw stopped mid-sentence, looking offended.

"You don't have to be so rude, grumpy-paws." she huffed, her excitement vanishing.

"It's not just me, furball." Stonepaw growled. "You're making all of our ears bleed over here with your constant blabbering. Stop running your mouth for once and let the rest of us get some sleep."

Sweetpaw's amber eyes widened and she immediately fell silent. Tumblepaw looked like he wanted to say something, but he didn't. _That was harsh. _Sandpaw thought, feeling a bit sorry on behalf of the newly appointed apprentice.

"Stonepaw, you didn't have to be such a fox-heart about it." Riverpaw commented. Sandpaw guessed he felt some sympathy for Sweetpaw as well. The dark gray tom's head darted in Riverpaw's direction.

"Tell me with a straight face that Sweetpaw wasn't bothering you." He retorted.

"Well….yeah she was." Riverpaw admitted. "But you could have told her nicely instead of being so mean."

Stonepaw rolled his eyes and let out a massive yawn. "Whatever. I don't know how you expect yourselves to become Warriors if you can't even tell off an obnoxious kit."

"Hey! I'm not a kit!" Sweetpaw exclaimed, leaping to her paws.

"Then stop acting like one." Stonepaw said coldly.

Sandpaw exchanged a look with Reedpaw. This little ordeal was just keeping all of them awake even longer. Sandpaw sighed and curled up, flattening her ears to try and block out the noise.

Suddenly, a deep voice outspoke the rest. Sandpaw raised her head to see Oakshade standing next to the ash tree, his tail twitching irritably.

"You sound like a group of magpies over here." He growled. "I need Riverpaw up early for battle training tomorrow and he could do well with some sleep." The russet Warrior looked annoyed and sleep-deprived.

"I wasn't talki-" Viperpaw tried to object, but Oakshade interrupted the black and white tom.

"I thought an _older _apprentice would have shown more consideration but I suppose I was wrong." He meowed, giving Stonepaw a pointed look. Stonepaw said nothing, but his eyes flashed with anger. Oaksahde gave a final look at the seven apprentices and padded away crossly. Sandpaw sighed again and laid down her head. _Finally. _She thought, letting the sleep that had been slowly creeping up on her take over.

**. . . . **

When Sandpaw woke, it was almost dawn and none of the other apprentices were awake other than Riverpaw, whose nest was empty. _Oakshade must really be pushing Riverpaw hard. _Sandpaw thought, worrying for her friend. The brown tabby yawned softly and limped out of her nest, enjoying the silence of the camp. She noticed her paw was feeling much better than yesterday, but she still couldn't fully rest it on the ground. Sandpaw headed near the clump of ferns that sheltered the nursery and took in the sights around her.

The sky was completely covered by a layer of milky-gray clouds, casting a shadow over the whole camp. _This is a nice change from the scorching heat. _She thought, stretching. There was a cool, soft breeze that promised light rain later in the day. Sandpaw sat and wondered what to do. She thought to eat, but decided she wasn't hungry enough._ It can't hurt for me to leave camp for a short walk. _She told herself. _It's not like I've got anything better to do since I can't train. _Sandpaw had convinced herself and decided to follow the stream through the territory.

After struggling for a few good minutes with the rocky slope, Sandpaw finally managed to haul herself up and exit the camp. The forest felt even chillier than the camp and Sandpaw had to ruffle her fur a bit to get comfortable. She then padded slowly over to the stream that came down the camp walls and began following it through the territory.

The forest smelled fresh and calm, as if the cool air was replenishing the plants and trees. Sandpaw wondered to herself how the weather had changed so drastically over the course of a day. _It's probably just the oncoming rain. _She thought, assuring herself that green-leaf was only half over. As Sandpaw enjoyed taking in the sights and sounds of the territory around her, following the soft trickle of the stream, she suddenly came to a halt.

She took in a deep breath to make sure she wasn't imagining things. _That's definitely raccoon scent. _She thought. Worry began to prickle at her pelt. Moments later, a mass of gray fur with a ringed tail confirmed her suspicions. The raccoon was hunched over the stream, swiping clumsily as if trying to capture a fish. Sandpaw suppressed a snort at how pathetic the raccoon's attempts were. It was only a few rabbit-lengths away, and Sandpaw had to be very careful if she were to get away safely.

She gulped and began backing away slowly, careful not to put too much pressure on her injured fore-paw. The raccoon was still swinging mercilessly at the water, sending crystal droplets flying everywhere. As Sandpaw continued to back up, she suddenly felt her whole body lose balance as she tripped over a large stone and tumbled backwards with a hiss of surprise. She landed on her side, thankfully not damaging her paw any further. _Mouse-dung! _she cursed inwardly. The raccoon was sure to have noticed her now.

The apprentice scrambled to her paws as quickly as she could to see the raccoon staring at her with beady black eyes, surrounded by a dark mask. She felt her pelt quiver uncomfortably at the creature's features. Luckily, the raccoon seemed uninterested in Sandpaw's clumsiness and simply scurried a few fox-lengths away then began searching for fish again. Sandpaw let out a long sigh of relief. _That was so close. _She told herself. _I'm just lucky he wasn't feeling vicious today. _She quickly began making her way back to camp, not willing to run into anymore trouble. Sandpaw decided to take a quicker route to camp by veering past the Rocky Hollow. When she neared the area composed of thin trees and stones that were useful for combat, she heard a hiss of annoyance come from nearby.

Stopping in her tracks, Sandpaw decided to see what was going on. She hobbled over to a birch tree and peered from behind it into the hollow where she saw Oakshade lashing his tail in front of an embarrassed-looking Riverpaw.

"I _just _told you Riverpaw," she heard Oakshade say exasperatedly. "That you push off of the boulder with your hind legs _before_ leaping onto your opponent. How hard is that to understand?!" he demanded. Sandpaw tilted her head curiously, trying to get a better look. Riverpaw looked at the earthy ground and shuffled his paws.

"I'm sorry Oakshade, I just have a hard time getting that right." He mewed, sounding disappointed in himself. "I feel like I'm too heavy to push myself off of the rock and still hit my opponent with enough impact." Oakshade let out an exaggerated sigh.

"I'm the mentor here Riverpaw, I think I know whether or not you are capable of a battle move. And no apprentice of mine is going to give up because they don't have enough strength to push themselves off of a _rock._" The russet tom snapped harshly.

Sandpaw was appalled by how coldly the Warrior was speaking to his apprentice. _Riverpaw doesn't deserve to be treated like that! _she growled inwardly. _I knew Oakshade was pushing him too hard. _

"I've had enough of this for today." Oakshade sighed. "I want you to practice on your own later today until you've gotten this right. We're having a training session with Firestone and Viperpaw tomorrow, so _don't _embarrass me." He warned. And at that, he stalked off, leaving Riverpaw behind. Sandpaw felt a rush of anger and dislike towards Oakshade. _What a complete fox-heart! _she thought. Riverpaw stared at the ground with sad blue eyes for several heartbeats before pulling himself and standing up, preparing to leave. Before he got the chance to, Sandpaw came limping into the hollow.

"Riverpaw!" She called. The brown striped tom's head darted towards her.

"Sandpaw?" he meowed in surprise, a flash of worry in his eyes. Sandpaw waited until she reached him before she spoke again.

"Hey…are you okay?" She meowed, only realizing that was a stupid question after she had uttered the words. Riverpaw looked down.

"Not really." He mewed. "Did you, uh…did you see that just now?"

Sandpaw nodded sympathetically.

"Yeah." She mewed. "Don't listen to him Riverpaw, he's being ridiculous. No apprentice can learn every move the day it's taught."

"He's not always like that!" Riverpaw mewed quickly, rushing to his mentor's defense. "And besides…I've been trying to get that move right for a while now."

Sandpaw shook her head, unaffected. "That doesn't matter. If you aren't getting the move right it's not your fault, it's his. A mentor is supposed to teach properly and be patient." She told her friend, thinking of her own mentor. _Brokenshadow's not exactly a good teacher…but he always seems to be patient. _She told herself. Riverpaw sighed softly.

"Thanks Sandpaw." He said, trying his best to sound cheerful.

"You're welcome.' She meowed. "I could try to help you out if you'd like."

Riverpaw blinked gratefully. "I'd like that…but I'm pretty sure I'm a hopeless case." He sighed again.

"Nonsense." Sandpaw mewed. She limped over to the large rock that Riverpaw had been trying to push off of. She examined it carefully, trying to figure out how she would help Riverpaw with a battle move she hadn't even learned yet. _Oakshade must be trying to teach Riverpaw moves older than his age. _The thought only added to Sandpaw's dislike for the russet Warrior.

"So…you said that you think you're too heavy to push off of the rock." She mewed, trying to sound like she knew what she was doing. "Err, so, why don't you try adding more force to your push?"

Riverpaw tilted his head. "How?" He asked.

Sandpaw paused to think for a moment of how she'd seen the move performed before, then it hit her. "When you leap for the rock, push off with your back legs and be sure to place your forepaws on the rock first and push off with them first, then with your hind legs." She meowed. "That will add more force and you'll be able to hit your enemy with enough impact." Riverpaw looked thoughtful for a moment, then his eyes lit up.

"Of course!" He cried. "It's so obvious, I can't believe I didn't figure that out."

Sandpaw let out a _mrrow _of satisfaction, happy that her friend wasn't sulking anymore.

"Why don't you give it a try?"

Riverpaw nodded eagerly and crouched down, ready to pounce on the rock. Sandpaw hobbled backwards a bit to give him space. Quick as a flash, Riverpaw leapt at the rock and landed fore-paws first, then he pushed off strongly, landing almost a fox-length away. Sandpaw purred in delight, it had worked! Riverpaw looked like he couldn't believe he had just done the move.

"I can't believe how easy that was!" He purred. "Thanks Sandpaw!"

"Any time." Sandpaw mewed cheerfully.

**. . . . **

The two apprentices padded back to camp together, discussing Warrior names they liked.

"I'd like to be called Rivertooth! Or maybe even Riverfoot." He chirped excitedly, as if his Warrior ceremony were going to happen tomorrow.

"I want something dangerous like….Sandkiller or Sandstrike." Sandpaw mewed, trying to sound more nonchalant than her friend.

"Sandkiller?" He chuckled. "What cat would want a name like _that_?"

"I would!" Sandpaw retorted. "Just imagine how scared it would make other clan cats!"

Riverpaw's chuckle grew into a laugh.

"Oh yes, I know I'd be terrified of a cat that kills sand."

Sandpaw batted his ear lightly with her good paw. "Whatever." She meowed. "I think it'd be cool."

As they continued to pad through the forest, the clouds finally gave in to the water they were holding and a steady rain began to fall. Luckily, the canopy of leaves overhead blocked out most of the rain and they managed to reach the camp before getting too wet.

**. . . . **

Sandpaw limped over to the fresh-kill pile once she had said goodbye to Riverpaw only to be disappointed by a soggy mouse and two soaked finches. She sighed as her belly rumbled. _I should've eaten when I got the chance. _She thought. _I wish I could hunt. _The tabby gave her hurt paw an irritated look.

"Sandpaw!" Reedpaw's voice called from near the elder's den. Sandpaw's head darted in the striped she-cat's direction.

"Hi Reedpaw, what's up?" She mewed.

"Where have you been?" Reedpaw exclaimed and she neared her. "Fernfrost has been looking for you, you were supposed to get some more comfrey and poppy seeds for your paw, remember?" She said.

"Oops…" Sandpaw mewed. "Sorry, I just went for a walk." Although Sandpaw didn't know why she was apologizing, she could have just gotten the herbs later.

"It's alright, but you should probably go see her right now." Reedpaw told her. "Do you need help getting over the stream?" Sandpaw shook her head.

"No thanks, I think I can cross myself, my paw feels better today." She meowed.

"That's good!" Her friend chirped. "I'll see you later."

Sandpaw ducked under the long leaves of the willow tree, shivering as they soaked her fur even more. Once she was under the shelter of the tree, she shook her tabby coat, sending water droplets flying all over the place. Fernfrost ducked away from the flying drops.

"Hello to you too, Sandpaw." She mewed, her whiskers twitching.

"Hi Fernfrost." She mewed. "Sorry I wasn't here when you were looking for me."

"That's quite alright, but I am curious as to where you were." The medicine cat replied, arranging an assortment of berries.

"I went on a short walk, the weather was nice." Sandpaw said, feeling a bit awkward. Fernfrost turned around to give her a look.

"I suppose some exercise would do your paw good." Fernfrost murmured, almost to herself.

Sandpaw titled her head slightly.

"Then why did you tell me to stay off of my paw?" She questioned.

"If I didn't, most apprentices would take it as a sign to continue with their everyday tasks such as hunting and battle training." She answered. "I'm just glad you were smart enough to take a simple walk."

"Oh…" Sandpaw mewed, wondering if the brown and white patched she-cat had complimented her.

Fernfrost picked up a wrapped leaf and placed it in front of the apprentice. It unfolded to reveal some poppy seeds.

"Since you were feeling good enough to take a walk, I'll only give you two poppy seeds today." She explained. "There's no need for comfrey since the swelling is almost completely gone."

"Okay! Thank you Fernfrost." Sandpaw mewed, lapping up the two seeds. The medicine cat nodded and turned back to her herbs.

"Be sure not to catch a cold from all this rain." She said over her shoulder.

"Right." Sandpaw replied. "I'll see you tomorrow." Fernfrost mewed an agreement and Sandpaw took that as a sign to leave.

Sandpaw padded as quickly as she could across the clearing, heading towards the fresh-kill pile to see if it had been restocked. It would be sunhigh soon and she still hadn't eaten. Her belly growled in protest and Sandpaw quickened her pace. Just as she reached the fresh-kill pile, which still had the same options, a hunting patrol came through the thorn bushes and climbed down the rocky slope. Sandpaw sighed in relief. _Finally, fresh prey that isn't dripping wet. _The patrol consisted of Thunderfrost, Meadowleap and Orangebreeze. Thunderfrost was carrying a large silver fish, Meadowleap had two voles, and Orangebreeze carried in a shrew. Sandpaw licked her lips hungrily. The patrol set their kills down under the shelter of a juniper bush to keep the prey from getting wet. Sandpaw padded carefully over to the bush, her heart set on one of the voles Meadowleap had carried in.

Just as she leaned down to grab one, Orangebreeze stopped her with her fluffy tail. Sandpaw looked up and the orange and white she-cat questioningly.

"Sorry Sandpaw, but this is for the elders." She mewed apologetically.

Sandpaw's belly rumbled in reply.

"Mouse-dung." She said, more disappointed than angry. Thunderfrost rolled his amber eyes. His blue-gray pelt looked almost black due to being heavy with rainwater.

"You can take these to the elders." He ordered.

"But I haven't eaten since yesterday!" The apprentice objected.

The tom's heavy stare didn't waver. "The clan comes first." Thunderfrost meowed. "You can eat when they're done"

"Yes, Thunderfrost." Sandpaw sighed, picking up the two voles and the fish. She had to stretch her jaws as wide as possible to fit all of the prey. Quickly, she made her way to the pile of branches that made up the elders den to avoid getting completely drenched.

As Sandpaw ducked into the elders' den, the three old cats seemed to be in the middle of a conversation.

"And I swear to Silverpelt when I say that Briarcloud knocked that mangy badger off it's paws in less than a heartbeat, sending it wailing off to StarClan knows where." Timbertail meowed to his companions. Frostfang and Dewtail murmured in respect for the dead she-cat.

"She hunts with StarClan now." Dewtail meowed.

"Never in my seasons of living have I seen a cat half as quick as Briarcloud." rasped Frostfang. Dewtail nodded in agreement.

"Cats don't come as quick and well-built these days." Dewtail commented. "Always wailing and whining over their tasks. Why, when we were apprentices, we did twice the work these soft-bellied youngsters do." Frostfang opened her jaws to say something but before she could, Sandpaw made a muffled noise to let them know she was there. Frostfang let out a surprised cough.

"Sandpaw!" She mewed in greeting, sounding glad to see her kin. Dewtail and Timbertail turned to look at the apprentice and meowed a greeting. Sandpaw put down the fresh-kill, trying to keep her mouth from watering.

"Hi, Frostfang, I brought you guys something to eat." She meowed, nudging the prey towards their nests.

"It's about time an apprentice remembered us." Timbertail mewed. "I'm glad you've got yourself a good memory, Sandpaw."

"Uh, thanks Timbertail." She replied awkwardly, not having the heart to tell him that Thunderfrost had made her bring the prey to them. Frostfang leaned forward and grabbed the fish with her jaws.

"My favorite." She purred, taking a large bite. Timbertail chose one of the voles and dug in right away. Sandpaw looked at Dewtail, who seemed more interested with cleaning his chest than eating.

"Uh, Dewtail, are you hungry?" Sandpaw asked hopefully. The black and white tom stopped grooming to look at her as if she'd said something bizarre.

"Calm yourself 'paw." He grumbled. "I'll eat when I'm ready."

"Right." Sandpaw said, trying to hide her disappointment. "I'll just leave it here then." She stood up to leave and began to limp out of the den. Frostfang waved her tail in goodbye and continued to tear into her fish as Sandpaw exited the den.

Luckily, the rain had eased to a slight drizzle when she came back into the clearing. The cover of clouds had broken a bit to allow slim rays of sunlight to seep through the cracks. Sandpaw enjoyed the mixture of coolness and warmth on her pelt. The apprentice scanned the clearing and noticed that thankfully, Thunderfrost was nowhere in sight. She hobbled over to the juniper bush as quickly as she could where Snowshine and Morningjay were having a conversation. Snowshine's belly was large, heavy with kits, and Sandpaw wondered when they would be born. She padded past the two she-cats and ducked her head under the bush to see that the only thing left was the shrew Orangebreeze had caught. Sandpaw stifled a sigh and picked up the small rodent.

As Sandpaw began wolfing down her meal, she caught her mother's eye. She hadn't spoken to Morninjay since their argument yesterday and felt a bit awkward being in her presence. Her anger had cooled by now, but she still didn't understand her mother's logic in defending Hawkpath. She finished her meal quickly and swiped her tongue around her jaws. Just as she finished, Snowshine meowed a goodbye to Morninjay and walked off, heading toward the nursery. _Just great. _Sandpaw thought. She stood up and tried to limp away without making contact with her mother, but it proved to be futile.

"Sandpaw." Morningjay mewed. "I'd like to have a word with you." The dark brown tabby turned to look at her mother.

"Okay." She half-meowed, half-sighed. Morningjay padded closer and settled down next to her.

"We never finished our conversation the other day." She told her daughter. Sandpaw felt the same lump rising in her throat again, she didn't _want _to finish the conversation.

"We didn't?" She gulped. Morningjay looked at the apprentice calmly.

"I don't want you to spend your life holding a grudge against your father." Her mother meowed. _He's not my father as far as I'm concerned. _Sandpaw thought, but she kept the words in her head.

"I know, Morningjay." She replied. "I don't have a grudge against him, I just wasn't in a very good mood yesterday."

Luckily, Morningjay seemed to believe her and looked relieved.

"I'm glad, dear." She said sweetly. "Just remember that he will always love us, no matter what."

Sandpaw bit back a scoff.

"I will." She meowed, giving her mother a swift lick on the cheek.

Morningjay purred, "Are you feeling better today?" She asked. Sandpaw nodded her head.

"Yeah, despite my paw." She meowed, lifting her foreleg. Morningjay blinked and Sandpaw realized that she hadn't known about her injury. "I sprained it yesterday while hunting." Sandpaw mewed. Realization came into her mother's blue eyes and she looked at her paw worriedly.

"Oh my, are you alright?" She meowed, giving the apprentice's hurt paw a quick lick. Sandpaw pulled it away.

"Yeah, it feels better today. Hopefully I'll be able to train again tomorrow." She reassured her mother.

"Good, good." Morningjay mewed. "I should get going, I'm on border patrol." She gave Sandpaw a quick lick and padded off to meet Firestone and Cedarfoot. Sandpaw sighed in relief that they didn't argue again.


End file.
